Welcome to the World
by NJCD
Summary: They're two sides of two completely different coins. They meet by chance at a party and never speak again. For better, he, and for worse, her. (One-shot) (AU)


**My 'girlfriend' is upset with me because whenever I say goodnight I say 'Goodnight, babe' or something and then add something like, 'Don't let them get you' or 'Make sure you sleep with one eye open' or 'Don't let them take you' and then I don't respond when she tries to talk to me.**

**I had to get blood drawn today. And I got to fly to Oahu.**

**Here's a one shot!**

_**-NJCD**_

_I knew a girl_  
_She was so young_

Clare Edwards, 24: Aspiring author, living in New York. She had huge dreams of becoming both an author and a writer for the New York Times. Currently, she attend Columbia University with the best friend she could ask for, Adam Torres. They were so close, everyone assumed they were dating. Heck, it was almost like they were. They even shared a room.

But there was no attraction on either part, and they were both fine with it. It was probably for the best, as Adam had a girlfriend, Becky Baker. She lived in Florida, but they often Skyped and flew up or down to see each other.

_So full of dreams_  
_So ready for love_

Clare, on the other hand, was very unlucky when it came to first 3 boyfriends cheated and her last boyfriend, a student named Aaron, was too violent. He never hit her, but he would shake her and yell too much.

She just wanted to be loved.

At the moment, after 2 weeks of painful midterms, a huge party was being thrown. Even though it was being throw for Columbia students to relax and celebrate midterms being over, students from neighboring colleges and universities were among the crown, like trail mix. Adam and Clare weren't really sure who was throwing the party - they heard about it by pure gossip - but neither of them really cared; they just wanted to relax.

_She met a boy _  
_Who's words were like the waves_

Somewhere between arriving and losing Adam in the crowd, she met a man. "You look lost!" He yelled, over the music. "I came here with my friend...I don't know where he went."

"I could...keep you company. Until he gets back." The smirk of the devilishly handsome boy left Clare speechless, so she only smiled and nodded.

He grabbed her hand and began to drag her throw the vast sea of people. For a second, she was confused, but was relieved when he slid open a door and pulled her onto the patio. Once the door was closed, it was much quieter. The only noise that could be heard was the dull sound of the music and the ringing in both their ears.

"You don't look like the partying type." He commented, surveying her. "I'm not. But, midterms are over and it's a perfect time to come to a party." She smiled, then added, "I'm Clare. Clare Edwards."

"How generic." He smirked, to let her know he was only teasing, "I'm Eli. Eli Goldsworthy. So, what's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?"

"Like I said, I'm here with my friend, but he's a social butterfly. He probably met some people." She glanced back inside.

"I'm surprised you came here with a friend and not your boyfriend." She shook her head, "I don't have a boyfriend."

_In came the tide_  
_And she was swept away_

"Somehow I doubt that. You wouldn't be able to walk across your school without a million guys asking out a gorgeous girl like yourself.

_I knew a boy_  
_He was so young_

Eli Goldsworthy, 25; aspiring film director. Man whore. Attended NYU. He had gotten a generous scholarship from winning a video contest in which he entered a short film of his, about zombies. He was a photographer, too. Even carried a camera around his neck.

He grew up in New York, dating and fucking half the girls he knew. He heard about the party from a face range post about it.

_So full of steam_  
_So ready for lust_

He often went to parties, but not because he liked the music. Oh, no, he liked the girls. He wasn't a sex maniac or anything. Sure, he had sex with lot of his friends, but that was over a long period of time.

At one time, a few years ago, he was engaged to a wonderful girl. Julia was her name. They completed each other and had plans for a wedding the next fall.

She died.

As much as that affected Eli, it no longer did. 6 months after she had died, his best friend confessed that he had been sleeping with Julia, for months during her and Eli's engagement.

All of the depression had gone away and he was actually glad Julia was dead. As for his best friend, they no longer spoke and, when he first found out what he;d done with Julia behind Eli's back, he had beat the crap out of him.

Eli was sent to prison for a week and his ex best friend was in the hospital for the same time. When they saw each other, they both apologized but still had strong resentment and often glared when they passed each other in the halls.

Ever since them, Eli had been having random sex with random girls and only craved more.

_He met a girl_  
_Who held a wondrous prize_

The second he laid eyes on the blue-eyed girl, he knew he had to have her. And, as if by luck, people flooded out onto the patio, giving Eli the change to say, "It's too loud here, now." He chuckled, "Come on."

He led her upstairs and into a bed room. Her nerves were instantly present. He knew she was abstinent; she'd told him downstairs, and he knew he could changed that.

"Tell me about yourself." He said.

"Um, well, I go to Columbia and-"

"No, everything. Where were you born? Who are your parents? You're so alluring...I want to know about you."

From anyone else, it would've sounded like a stalker, but from Eli, it sounded wonderful. It took a hour for her to tell him everything, with Eli making comments and asking questions.

_He said the magic words _  
_To open up her thighs_

"Now tell me about yourself." She said. "No," He responded, "I'm meager next to you. When I saw you out there, I thought you looked just like an angel. And I was so nervous to talk to you, because I didn't know if the mind matched the face, but it does. I love all the things about you. You're perfect." It wasn't a lie, but rather a trick to gain her trust.

She gave him her virginity that night. He said he was giving her his, too. Lies. All lies he told, but she was oblivious. She was too lost in the bliss of that night to pay any attention.

"That was incredible." He whispered, when it was over. She was really close to him, cuddling him under the covers. "Yeah."

He glanced at his watch, "I have to go soon." Her face was shocked. _She'd just given him her virginity and he was leaving? _He saw the distress in her face, the almost watering of her eyes.

"Give me your number, I can call you."

She scribbled it down and handed it to him. Upon remembering his camera, she asked, "It's a Polaroid, right?" She pointed to it.

"Yeah."

"Take our photo." She smiled. He smirked and grabbed the camera. Laying down, both shirtless, he took 2 photos, making sure not to show her breast. He knew she'd make him retake them.

As they got dressed, she asked, only to confirm, "You'll call me?" He nodded, "Of course, angel." And when they went back downstairs, everyone knew: they had sex, the hickies told the story.

She waited for his call. She waited, believe me. She searched his name and tried to find him, but never did. He never called, either.

_Ten years have past_  
_He's on your mind_

She thought about him everyday. She wrote for the New York Times now and lived in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood. She had everything a girl could want, but not a husband.

After that night, she never dated. She never looked at another man. She still waited for that call. She looked at the photo everyday.

The next day, after that night, she told Adam all about him and how wonderful he was. She showed him the photo, told him his name and went on and on about how amazing her night had been.

After a week, she told herself he lost the number, or read it wrong. She told herself that, for whatever reason, he couldn't call.

From what Adam heard, he had manipulated her. He took advantage of her. He never told Clare this, though. It'd break her.

_As long as you live_  
_He'll always be that guy_

She searched his name for years, but has since given up. _He's moved on, _She told herself, _He lost my number and has moved on. _She thought about him often, though. She smiled at his photo and cried, remembering that night.

She did not regret it, but wished she had gotten his number as well. She never had sex with another man, never even though about being with anyone else.

Adam was heart broken, having to watch the girl he loved - as a friend - so depressed. She tried not to let it affect her, but it was still apparent.

"You still have that picture?" Adam said, baffled. "Sometimes, I think that, maybe, he'll call. And he'll say He read the number wrong or it got smeared or something. Or maybe he'll see that I write for the Times now and come to the office."

"Clare, you have to let this go. You have everything one would want-"

"I know."

_Not so for him  
For whom it was a game_

Never did Eli plan to call her. He threw away the number and forgot about it. For a few days after, though, he bragged to his friends, but fucked other girls and found a new thing to brag about.

He knew from the very beginning he was only playing her. He didn't care for her at all. He never knew, and _would _never know, how big an impact he had made on her.

_He may recall the night_  
_But he can't remember your name_

He had completely forgotten about the night until, one day, when he was packing his things into a moving truck, ten years later. _"I'm sick of New York City." _He decided one day and made the choice to move to Boston.

Among a shoe box full of photos, he found the Polaroid of him and Clare. She was smiling and, it didn't show it, holding his hand. He had a smirk on and an dark glint in his eyes.

He stared at the photo for a long while, until he remember where it was taken. At a college party he went to. He met the girl, her name was...was...it doesn't matter, but he had sex with her and tooken her virginity.

He could say those days of screwing strangers were behind him, but they weren't. He stared at the photo for the longest time, but failed to remember the girl.

_'Oh well.' _He thought, _'Doesn't matter. It was a silly one night stand.' _For him, that was the truth. Not so much for her, who cried herself to sleep every night. He would never know that, though. How would he?

_You lose nothing  
_  
_You lost nothing_

_You lost nothing  
_  
_You lost nothing  
_  
_Welcome To The World_

* * *

**Tada!**

**Oh, so guess what?**

**I'm going to church! (My kinda, sorta, not really girlfriend wants me to go)**

_**-NJCD**_


End file.
